Police responding to a suspected murder call were shocked to find the dead body was a life-size sex doll.

Horrified residents called the cops when they spotted what appeared to be a human corpse dumped in wheelie bins on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand.

Armed police and forensic officers descended on the residential street in Nonthaburi in the early hours of Friday morning.

But they were stunned to find the corpse was actually a hyper-realistic silicone doll that had been imported from China.

Footage shows them laughing as they remove the 5ft tall brunette from a cardboard box, before it was put on display at the local station, complete with a pink bra.

Neighbour Suda Wongchai, 46, who went out on the street to watch, said she was relieved there had not been a murder.

She added: 'My whole family was in a panic when we saw the police cars filling the street. Another neighbour told us there had been a murder.

'I'm relieved nothing serious has happened, but whoever put the doll there should have thought about the consequences.'

Officers checked CCTV and identified a pickup pulling up to the row of wheelie bins a few hours before. However, they were unable to identify the number plate on the vehicle in the Pak Kret district.

They believe the owner had tried to dispose of the doll without using it regularly.

Police Captain Itsarawut Nakya said: 'The doll was in excellent condition, like new, and it was quite expensive.

'We believe that the owner might not have liked the specifications, or the doll did not match the description, or that he was afraid that someone who came to his room might see it, so he decided to secretly put it in a box and throw it away.'

Officers said the cardboard box was 180cm long and 40cm wide. It was partially wrapped in a pink sheet.

Police Captain Itsarawut added: 'Everyone was anxious at first that a serious crime had been committed. The officer was wearing a body camera to ensure the evidence was recorded.

'But it turned out to be a funny incident, so all of the neighbours were relieved.'